Amusement apparatus



June 21, 1932. J w ESTES 1,863,653

AMUS EMEN T APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor JamesW55 tea,

By imam/52% A ttorney June 21, 1932. w STES V AMUSEMENT APPARATUS FiledOct. 9. 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 o N s o 0 ll 0 o o b 0 n o 0 1] \Y, o L'Eo f 0 o A 9 0 0 ooil lll (O)\\l IO 00 o o 00 Q T LIE Q 0 & o a "3 N P oa E o I m e a 0 g c a o o M a R o 'Invenior flifie'aWEiZas,

Attorney June 21, 1932. w ESTES 1,863,653

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 6 Sheets-Sheet 4Inventor J'amea WESZ'es,

A itomey June 21, 1932. J. w. ESTES AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9.1929 I June 21, 1932. J w ESTES 1,863,653

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 5 A itomey June21, 1932. J. w ESTES AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1929 6Sheets-Sheet 6 Inventor James WA /ates,

Attorney Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES JAMES W. ESTES,"OFBIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Application filed October 9,1929. Serial No. 398,413.

The present invention appertains to improvements in amusement apparatusand more particularly to a novel roundabout.

The principal object of the invention is to v provide a novel roundaboutform of amuse-- ment apparatus embodying in operation a new and highlyamusing series of tortuous movements.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a roundaboutconstructed to accommodate a numberof people and which in operation willbe safe; and not liable to the development of defects which now occur inthis character of amusement. v

These and other important objects of the invention will become moreapparent to the reader after considering the invention as de scribed andclaimed hereinafter.

. In the drawings Figure 1 represents a fragmentary top plan view,showing substantially one-half of the improved apparatus. r

F ig.-2 represents a fragmentary top plan view of substantially half ofthe apparatus,

. 3 and showing the panels and cars removed therefrom.

Fig. '3 represents a top plan view of the stationary platform and itssectional racks. Fig. 4. represents a fragmentary vertical sectionalview. v

Fig. 5 represents a bottom plan view of one of the radial frames inwhich the means for moving a car is located.

Fig. 6 represents a fragmentary vertical 7 sectional view through oneo'f'the frames and the car movable thereon.

Fig. 7 represents a vertical sectional view through the mobile platformand transversely through one of the frames and showing a car in endelevation thereofpfl Fig. 8 represents a fragmentary vertical sectionalview through the innerend portion of one of the frames and the adjacentedge 7 portion of the stationary platform.

Fig. 9 represents a fragmentary vertical sectional view transverselythrough one of the frames, at the inner end portion thereof.

Fig. 10 represents a vertical transverse sectional view through thelower end portion of one of theframes. I

' from this hub.

Fig. 11 represents a fragmentary longitudmal vert1cal sectional viewthrough the lower end portion of'one of the frames.

Fig. 12 represents a fragmentary vertical sectional view through theedge portionof the stationary platform.

Fig. 13 represents a perspective View of. a guide member employed in theinvention.

Fig. 14: represents a perspective view of the U-shaped member employedfor supportlng one ofthe pulleys on the frame shownin Fig. 5. I

Fig. 15 is a perspective view ofa cap member employedinthe. frameconstruction.

Referring to thedrawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, itwill be seen that the present invention embodies a sta tionary platformgenerally referred to by the numeral 5 and a movable platform generallyreferred to by numeral 6; The sta tionary platform consists in theconstruction of a circular support 7 elevated above the ground bysuitable legs 8 and being provided with an upstanding shaft 9. r 1 Theshaft 9 is stationary and is secured to the support 7 by the base plate10. The shaft 9 has a hub 11' rotatably mounted thereon, and supportedupon the base 10 and a circumferentially extending flange 12, projects 7J .80 An annular angle bar 13 is secured upon the support 7 and has itsinner side provided with groups of rack teeth 14 at equal spacedintervals. Secured to'the support 7 and in parallel relation to thoseportions of the annular angle bar 13, not provided with I rackteeth'arethe arcuate shaped angle bars 15 provided with rack teeth 16 at theirsides opposing the annulus 13. At the end of each arcuatebar 15',a'plate 17 is secured tothe support 7, and this plate has alongitudinally curved flange 18 upstanding thereon, and a relativelyshort'plate 19 rising'therefrom in parallel relation to the flange l8.

j. The end .portions 20 0f the plate 19 are 1 obliquely disposed awayfrom the flange18 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 13. The annularmobile platform 6 is built up of a plurality of frames generallyreferred'to by the numeral 21 in Fig. 5. Each frame connected togetherat one end by the cap member 23,shown perspectively in Fig. 15. e Thecap member 23 is provided with an opening 24, through which a set screw25 is slidably disposed and threadedly engaged through the bight portion26 of the U-shaped member 27 The U-shapedmember has the ends of its legsprovided with openings 28 for recelving" a pin on which a pulley 29 ismounted; A slide plate 30 is slidably mounted within the frame, andcarries a pair 'of rollers 31- 31 for engaging one flange of the frame.

' A hollowshaft 32 has its threaded solid end portion 33 disposedbetween the spaced angle bars 2222 and limited inits downward movementby, a circumferential flange 34. The plate 30 has a sleeve 35 dependingtherefrom and the threadedsolidjend of the shaft 32 is disposed"therethrough, and adapted for receiving a nut 36 and a washer 37 formaintaining the spool 38' against the slide plate 30 in the manner shownin Fig.- 5. A pulley 39 is carried on the spool 38 and is: ofslightly'less diameter than the spool 38, so that the spool will rideagamst the depending flanges of the bars 22 22.

As is clearly shown in Fig; 6, a car generally referred to by thenumeral40 includes theseat 41 havingthe baclr42 and side walls 43. A floor 44is also provided with a toe board 45. The toe board 45 has an inwardlydisposd bracket 46 at its upper end for rotatably receiving the upperend of ashaft 47. The shaft 47 extends through a'bushing 48 in the floor44 and a yoke 49 atthe lower end of the shaft rotatably carries a wheel50.

also has a yokei52 for rotatably receiving a' A shaft 51 depends fromthe seat 41' and wheel 53. The seat 41 also has a rack 54 which dependstherefrom and into the hollow shaft 32 inthe manner clearlyshown. As isclearly shown in Fig. 7 there are a pair of the shafts 51 and the wheels53' and these are adapted to ride on elongated wear plates 55-55 ontheedge portions of panels 56 connecting the radially disposed framesshown in Fig. 2. p

A These frames radiate from the stationary platform andthe panelsaforementionedconnect the frames to form an annular mobile platform.Each frame has cross-piece 57 at its intermediacy and to the ends ofthese cross pieces are connectingmembers-58 for bracing and retainingthe frames in the radial disposition.

-The mobile platform is transversely inclined outwardly and at the.lower end of each frame is a U-shaped :wheel mount 59 having its upperend bent outwardly and secured to the frame as at 60. The lower bightportion of the mount is secured to an angle member 61 to which a wheel62 is rotatably connected. e

The upper end of each frame has a drum 63 rotatably mounted therein by apin 64. The pin 64 has a head 65 thereon for supportting the drum withinthe frame, while the drurnis provided with a pair of centrally locatedlugs 66 66for universally receiving the upper end of the shaft 67. Theshaft 67 depends downwardly and has a pinion 68 secured to its" lowerendand a pintle 69 extending below the pinion, and being engageable attimes between the flange 18 and the plate 19 'on the plate :17, at theends of the arcuate angle bars 15.

The inner ends ofthe frames are connected by angle bars 70 and members71 depend from the angle bar sections 70- and connect to an annulus 72.A pin 73 is secured to the annulus 72 and projects through the hub 74 ofa wheel 75, adapted to ride upon the outward l'y disposed flange of theannular angle bar 13 shown in Fig.3. A spacer 76 is interposed betweenthe hub 74 and the depending member 71. Brace bars77 and 78 extend fromthe angle bar sections 7 0' and annulus 72 'respec tively for connectionhub 11. 3 e

As is clearly ible strand 79 is convoluted about the drum 63 with oneend secured toone end of the slide plate 30' and the oppositeend-portion disposed past thepul'ley- 39 and around the pulley 29 forconnection-to the opposite end of the plateSO. I

Itwillthus beseen that when the" hub 11 is rotatable by any suitablemeans, the aforementioned conneotions between the same and the annularmobile platform will: result in the rotation of the-same. The rotationof the mobile platform, will result in the reto the flange 12 on theciprocation of the cars '40 on the wear plates 7 shown in and 9a flex-55-55, due to the particular gear and-strand connection-between thestationary platform and the said cars. Thus an irregular movement of thecars 1n reciprocatory movement back and forth across the mobileplatform, A

will occur during the rotation of the annular platform, so thatconsiderable amusement will be affordedby patrons riding on the cars.

Furthermore, while the foregoing descripe 1. A roundabout lanusementdevice comprisingfa stationary'platform, an annular mobileplatformencirclingf said stationary platform, said mobile, platformconsisting of plurality of rectangular framesi extendr ing radially fromsaid stationary platform in theinvention as described herea positiondeclining therefrom, seats slidable on said frames, each of said seatsbeing rovided with a depending member, a pu ey wheel rotatably mountedon the lower end of the member, a rotary element at each end of eachframe, a plate carried by the depending member of the correspondingseat, a flexible element trained about the rotary elements at the endsof the frames and secured at its ends to the said plate, the saidflexible element being engaged with the pulley wheel on the dependingmember of the corresponding seat, and means for rotating one of the saidrotary elements at the ends of the frame.

2. In a structure of the class described, a stationary platform, anannular movable platform encircling said stationary platform andembodying a plurality of radial frames, seats movable on said annularplatform and having shafts extending through said frames and havingplates underlying the frames, pulleys adjacent the inner and outer endsof said frames, flexible elements chained about said pulleys andconnected at the ends thereof with said plates, and driving vmeans en 7gaged with one of said pulleys to turn the same alternately inoppositedirections and thereby bring about inward and outward movementof said seats.

3. In a roundabout amusement device, a centralstationary platform, aplurality of arcuate rack bars on said platform, vertical shafts havinggears for engagement with said rack bars, said shafts being providedwith pilot portions below said gears, guiding devices at the endportions of said bars and consisting of inner and outer upstandingflanges, the outer flanges having the end portions thereof directedoutwardly, an annular platform movable about said first named paltformand having radially movable seats, and a connection between saidradially movable seats and said shafts to transmit the movement of saidshaft to said seats.

4:. In a roundabout amusement device, a central stationary platform, aplurality of arcuate rack bars on said platform, vertical shafts havinggears for en agement with said rack bars, said shafts eing provided withpilot portions below said gears, guiding devices at the end portions ofsaid bars and consisting of inner and outer upstanding flanges, theouter flanges having the end portions thereof directed outwardly, anannular platform movable about said first named platform and havingradially movable seats, and a connection between said radially movableseats, and said shafts totransmit the movement of said shaft to saidseats, said connection between said shafts and said seats beinguniversal.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. Y

JAMES w. ESTES;

